Photos: Three television shows interpret the modern family home

CaptionBy David A. Keeps

ABC

For a good look inside the ever-evolving family home, just watch some TV this fall. Several new or sophomore-season shows are set in California and present their visions of West Coast style, be it vintage Craftsman or art-gallery modern. Tune in to "Modern Family," "No Ordinary Family" or "Parenthood," and you'll see interiors that not only express character but also reflect trends in home décor. We'll start with ABC's "Modern Family," which follows the comic foibles of related Los Angeles households. "There are three multigenerational, multicultural families," production designer Richard Berg says, referring to sets of relatives that include a retired white patriarch with a much younger Latina wife and a gay couple with an adopted daughter from Vietnam. "You need to be able to tell whose house you are in at a glance." He describes the hectic Dunphy home of dad Phil (played by Ty Burrell) and mom Claire (Julie Bowen) as "Pottery Barn-Restoration Hardware traditional modern." (The sofa is actually from Sofu U Love in Burbank, and the pillow are Pottery Barn.)

For a good look inside the ever-evolving family home, just watch some TV this fall. Several new or sophomore-season shows are set in California and present their visions of West Coast style, be it vintage Craftsman or art-gallery modern. Tune in to "Modern Family," "No Ordinary Family" or "Parenthood," and you'll see interiors that not only express character but also reflect trends in home décor. We'll start with ABC's "Modern Family," which follows the comic foibles of related Los Angeles households. "There are three multigenerational, multicultural families," production designer Richard Berg says, referring to sets of relatives that include a retired white patriarch with a much younger Latina wife and a gay couple with an adopted daughter from Vietnam. "You need to be able to tell whose house you are in at a glance." He describes the hectic Dunphy home of dad Phil (played by Ty Burrell) and mom Claire (Julie Bowen) as "Pottery Barn-Restoration Hardware traditional modern." (The sofa is actually from Sofu U Love in Burbank, and the pillow are Pottery Barn.) (ABC)

Based on a home in Cheviot Hills, the Dunphy house is catalog conservative, defined by farm-style tables and comfy classics, including roll-arm sofas. "There is still a formal living room," production designer Berg says. "The kids don't go in there unless it's for a family meeting." The wall by the stairs -- often seen when Claire and Phil are interviewed in the show's faux-documentary style -- is painted in a serene shade called Labrador Blue by Benjamin Moore.

Based on a home in Cheviot Hills, the Dunphy house is catalog conservative, defined by farm-style tables and comfy classics, including roll-arm sofas. "There is still a formal living room," production designer Berg says. "The kids don't go in there unless it's for a family meeting." The wall by the stairs -- often seen when Claire and Phil are interviewed in the show's faux-documentary style -- is painted in a serene shade called Labrador Blue by Benjamin Moore. (ABC)